Tulip Hill, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Mar 13th 2010 at 1:02PM

Often we see newer homes going up for auction but today's estate, Tulip Hill in Anne Arundel County, Maryland dates back to before the Revolutionary War. Tulip Hill is a Georgian plantation house built by Samuel Galloway circa 1756. It is on nearly 52 acres that includes water frontage and pier and includes terraced gardens and manicured grounds.

Wings were added to the house between 1787-1790 enlarging Tulip Hill into its final and present five-part form by appending the two end wings and a pair of connecting hypens. The plantation house remained in the possession of the Galloway family until 1886. The five-part composition has a full stone basement under the entire structure. The central block is two full stories with a high unfinished attic and double hipped roof. The two brick end wings, built at right angles to the main axis are two stories of lower height than the main house. Both have gabled roofs with a single chimney located in the center of the outer side walls. The two brick connecting hyphens are one story with very low attic space and are covered with gable roofs that have small dormers. A whimsical note can be found on the pediment of the porch which is supported by four columns and contains a carved figure of Cupid. The fireplaces in the central block are faced with either Dutch tile or marble and are framed with wood paneling. The doors, paneling, floorboards, and stair treads are of pine and most of the hardware is original. The house was little altered during the nineteenth century and has never undergone extensive restoration. You don't get much more American authentic than this beauty.

It is being auctioned off on April 10 by Concierge Auctions. It was previously offered for $7.5 million and will have a suggested opening bid of $1.65 million.

Tags: concierge auctions, estate of the day, luxury real estate, luxury real estate auction, maryland, tulip hill

Filed under: Estates

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

T. Leeflang Mar 13th 2010 4:28PM

*dies* All it needs is a little TLC and a new kitchen. Gorgeous.

JSandberg Mar 14th 2010 1:59AM

I see work everywhere. I guess this kind of estate is just not my choice. I acknowledge the history-but couldn't live there.

JLS Mar 14th 2010 3:01AM

Just thought of what word comes to mind when I looked at this. MUSEUM is it. Not home-just got that old aroma to it. Not good.

Aimee Belle Ogden-Ganci Mar 14th 2010 12:56PM

I only wish I was rich and could be the one to right this grand old beauty. What an honor it would be. I pray the person who acquires her will be someone who truly understands and respects the history and beauty of true Early American architecture and the love and devotion the original designers and builders put into her with their obvious inate attention to proportion and asthetics.

mybora99 Mar 15th 2010 9:32AM

For those of you who do not understand the idea of owing a house like this, I'm sure there is a nice spec-McMansion with faux-Palladian style windows with a nice stucco finish somewhere in America for you.
PS: Enjoy your 10 feet of space between you and your neighbor's matching house.

Spectacular Bid Mar 15th 2010 12:22PM

A lovely and history property worth of it having been listed on the National Register (1970) but clearly an offering that requires the right owner. Deep pockets will be required and an appreciation of the rich history. Developers need not bid. Someone above quipped it looked like a museum, perhaps, but go further south to Virginia's hunt country regions and this is par for the course. Either you (as an owner) like being a custodian to history or not.

Per published articles the seller, Citibank, assumed the property in June 2009 for $3.87M. That is about the same price it was paid for in 2004. The property in 2004 had 92 acres so its unclear if that's been sold off over the years or is retained by Citi.

Tulip Hill has been listed for $2.3 million since the fall on 2009. The bank decided an auction was the best was to liquidate the property and recover funds.

Tax appraised value is $1.858M, per county records: http://sdatcert3.resiusa.org/rp_rewrite/details.aspx?AccountNumber=01 000 00182000 &County=02&SearchType=STREET